firmware update

The stable release of Android 9 Pie appears to be going out to Xiaomi Mi A2 handsets right now. It includes lots of the features Pixel phones have now had for some time, including adaptive battery, gesture navigation (crap though it may be), and app actions.

Recently in the US, Verizon inadvertently trolled Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners on its network by releasing an update that supposedly brought Android Oreo to the devices. It turns out the carrier had just attached the wrong changelog, and Oreo wasn't imminent at all. To rub salt into the wounds of those customers, S7 and S7 edge units in the UK are now actually receiving the Oreo update.

Chrome OS is one of the most secure desktop operating systems on the market (privacy concerns about the Google ecosystem aside). Automatic system updates, verified boot, and system drive encryption all keep your Chromebook safe from attacks. Most models also use a Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, for generating the cryptographic keys that protect local data.

While some Bluetooth earphones like Bose's SoundSport Free can be updated easily over-the-air, others require a desktop updater. Jaybird's RUN and Freedom are among the second group, and although updating is a little annoying, it can be done. And if you happen to own a pair of the RUN wireless buds, you'll be happy to learn that version 1.1 of the firmware makes signal reception much better.

If you happen to still own a Google Glass unit, yesterday's mysterious update of the MyGlass companion app might have had you thinking about dusting off the headset to see if it could still hold a charge... If you could ever really say Glass held a charge. In possibly the biggest tease (or troll) for Glass owners, today brings an even bigger surprise: New firmware. Yes, if you leave Glass connected to the Internet for a little while, it should download and install the brand new XE23 update.

Here's an interesting example of a product getting better with age. The Amazon Tap speaker was introduced as a mobile, battery-powered alternative to the Echo, with access to the same Alexa voice commands, but limited in that it could only accept said commands with a button press. This made the less-expensive Tap, while interesting, not all that much better than a smartphone for voice searches. But the latest firmware update from Amazon enables hands-free Alexa commands, like the Echo and Google's Assistant on the Google Home. Talk about a value add.

I'm honestly conflicted. When I spotted this new software on T-Mobile's support pages, I had to do a double take. How come a phone that's still stuck on Android 4.4.2 KitKat is getting the November 2016 security updates? It's ridiculous and awesome to a point that I just couldn't pass up the news.

The ZTE ZMAX was announced and released in September of 2014 on T-Mobile. It had midrange specs with a 5.7" 720 display, Snapdragon 400, 8MP back camera and 1MP on the front. The major selling point was the 3400mAh battery and the $252 price point. At the time of release, it ran Android 4.4 KitKat and it has managed to stick to that version for two years, no version bumps whatsoever for ZMAX owners.

Sony was one of the first companies to offer Cast-enabled speakers. Instead of buying a regular speaker and then plugging in a Chromecast Audio, you could save on power outlets and wires and just grab one with Google Cast capabilities built right in. The problem with these speakers, as some of you have discovered, is that their software updates seem to be totally reliant on the manufacturer.

So when Google's own Chromecast Audio got an update to support Hi-Fi audio and multi-room (aka grouping) back in December of last year, owners of some of these speakers had to wait, and wait, and wait, and wait a bit more to get the same functionality on their own speakers.

Even though it was announced almost a year and a half after the original LG G Pad 8.3, the G Pad X8.3 (notice the X?) is only a small improvement over its predecessor. The size, screen, software, storage, battery, remained more or less the same. Only the processor was bumped from a Snapdragon 600 to a 615 and the camera from a 5MP to an 8MP shooter.

Still, if you bought the X8.3 on Verizon, you might have been bummed because your relatively new tablet was stuck on Lollipop even though all the cool flagship phones got Marshmallow. Well, no more.

Evidence has been mounting over the last few days and it looks like it's finally happening: Android 6.0 for Wear is starting to roll out. Googler Wayne Piekarski just announced on his Google+ feed that OTAs have begun and should continue over the next few weeks.